Balapuwaduge Manukulasuriya Amith Jeevan Mendis is a leg-spinning all-rounder, who has won his place in the national squad with strong performances in First-Class cricket. The talent was clear since his school days, where he won several awards, including the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 2001 and Man of the Series award in the Under-17 Asia Cup during the same year. He continued to impress in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, where he picked up a record 7 for 19 against Zimbabwe.

He played for Sinhalese Sports Club in Sri Lanka's domestic circuit and though, he was consistent with the bat, he rarely got a chance to show his all-round skills. The switch to Tamil Union in 2008 turned out to be a turning point for him, as he was given ample opportunities to impress with the ball. He starred with both bat and ball to help Tamil Union become the limited overs champion. He scored 450 runs and took 26 wickets in the tournament, where he won the Man of the Finals and the Man of the Tournament awards. He followed it up with a stellar show in the Premier League, scoring 600 runs and taking 36 wickets to become the Man-of-the-Tournament once again. He was rewarded with a call-up to the Sri Lanka 'A' team to face Canada and Holland.